St. Louis Metro, SCCTD wrap up $2.7-million project St. Clair County
Written by jrood
February 14, 2001 St. Louis Metro and the St. Clair County Transit District (SCCTD) have avoided potential service disruptions to MetroLink by completing a $2.7-million project that halted erosion and stabilized soil along 4.5 miles of tracks between Fairview Heights and Swansea, Illinois. The project that began in May was completed nearly two months ahead of schedule and 10 percent under the $3 million budget.
"This kind of preventative
maintenance protects the $400-million asset that is MetroLink in St. Clair
County and ensures that we continue to deliver on-time, reliable service to our
customers across the region," said Chris Poehler, Metro senior vice president
of engineering and new system development. "It’s a perfect example of the kind
of project that the federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act was designed
to finance. It puts people to work and improves the country’s infrastructure."
The work was funded by
several sources including ARRA, the Federal Transit Administration and SCCTD.
Poehler said arranging the financing and completing the project demonstrated
the importance of partnerships between federal, state and local agencies. U.S.
Rep. Jerry Costello of Belleville, Ill., and Illinois State Reps. Jay Hoffman
of Collinsville and Tom Holbrook of Belleville helped secure the financing.
The work involved
excavating, repairing and stabilizing 19 sites adjacent to the MetroLink tracks
and near retaining walls along 4.5 miles of the light-rail system’s tracks
where storm water, mostly from a drainage creek, had eroded the soil. Eroded
areas were armored with stabilization techniques such as retaining walls,
riprap rock and grass seeding.
The contractor was the
Kilian Corp. of Mascoutah, Ill.
